Throttle valve for internal combustion engines



Jan. 17, 1967 R. ANDERSON 7 THROTTLE VALVE FOR=INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed April 20, 1964 z 777ZI 50 l Q 20 /5 I ID 5' INVENTOR2PULLAND L. ANDERSON.

ATTIYS'.

United States Patent 3,298,677 THROTTLE VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Rolland L. Anderson, Sylvania, Ohio, assignor to Champion SparkPlug Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 20,1964, Ser. No. 360,809 5 Claims. (Cl. 261-62) The present inventionrelates to butterfly valves for use in controlling the flow of gaseshaving entrained droplets of liquid therein; and, more particularly, toa throttle valve for controlling the flow of a fuel-air mixture from thecarburetor to the cylinders of gasoline engines.

Conventional carburetors that are used to mix gasoline with the air thatis fed to gasoline engines, utilize a venturi through which the airpasses. The venturi produces a drop in pressure which is a function ofthe rate of air flow to the engine, and this drop in pressure isutilized to control the amount of gasoline that is fed to the air.Gasoline is made up of a mixture of hydrocarbons, about 90 percent ofwhich boil at temperatures below 140 C. In order to increase theanti-knock properties of gasoline, a min-or proportion of tetraethyllead is added. Tetraethyl lead has a boiling point of approximately 200C., and, in addition, ethylenedibrornide which has a boiling point ofapproximately 130 C. is added to the gasoline, as a lead scavengeragent. The light ends of the gasoline, and the ethylenedibromidetherefore are usually vaporized shortly after leaving the carburetor,while the heavier hydrocarbons and a major amount of the tetraethyl leadare carried along through the manifold leading to the internalcombustion chambers as a dispersion of fine droplets.

The quantity of air and fuel which is fed to the internal combustionengine is regulated by means of a butterfly valve which is positioneddownstream of the carburetor fuel metering elements, and upon theupstream face of which any unvaporized droplets of heavy hydrocarbonsand tetraethyl lead impinge. At all but wide open throttle settings, thebutterfly valve extends partially crosswise to the flow, so that theheavy hydrocarbons and tetraethyl lead coalesce upon the face of thebutterfly and drip off the downstream edge of the butterfly as largedroplets. These droplets then impinge upon downstream surfaces of themanifold and run along the manifold until they reach the first branchconnection leading to one of the cylinders. This cylinder, therefore,receives a considerably greater amount of the heavy ends and thetetraethyl lead than do the other cylinders, and at the same timereceive less than the desired proportion of the lead scavenger agentwhich is carried with the lighter fractions. This results in anaccumulation of lead deposits on the spark plug of the cylinder orcylinders which receive the unvaporized liquids from the manifold.

Impingement of the droplets of heavy ends and tetraethyl lead on theupstream face of the butterfly valve occurs, at least to some degree, atall power settings except the closed or idling position of the butterflyvalve. During idling conditions, such a small amount of air passesthrough the venturi of the carburetor that its drop in pressure will notmeterthe correct amount of fuel to the airflow to the engine, so thatduring idling, the vacuum which is created on the downstream side of theclosed butterfly is used to suck a metered amount of fuel through anidling jet. These jets are usually positioned adjacent one of theopposite edges of the butterfly valve when in its closed positionbecause this is the region of highest air velocity in the air intakepassages during idling conditions. Usually only one idling jet is used,so that the air which passes the opposite side of conventional butterflyvalves does not directly receive a stream of fuel.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a newand improved butterfly valve for the throttle of gasoline engines whichwill disperse droplets of the heavy ends and tetraethyl lead throughoutthe body of airflow during idling conditions and intermediate powersettings.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedbutterfly valve which will cause fuel injected into the sides of the airpassage opposite the adjacent substantially closed edge of the butterflyto be dispersed into the center of the airflow passage downstream of thevalve.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedbutterfly of the above described type in which the air passing theopposite side of the substantally closed butterfly is also directedinwardly to mix with the air coming from the side which contains thefuel.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a new andimproved butterfly valve which causes the droplets of liquid whichimpinge upon the butterfly plate to be evenly distributed as dropletsthroughout the gases leaving the valve.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled inthe art to which it relates from the following description of apreferred embodiment described with reference to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the throttle body andbutterfly valve of a gasoline engine;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the butterfly plate and shaft shown inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the butterfly plate and shaft down in FIGURE1;

FIGURE 4 is an edge view taken from the position indicated by the lines4--4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an edge view of the butterfly plate taken from the positionindicated by the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 66 ofFIGURE 3.

FIGURE 1 of the drawing shows a carburetor venturi 10, and a throttlebody 12 of a fuel-air intake system of a gasoline engine. The view alsoshows the lower end of a gasoline metering jet 14, as well as abutterfly valve 16 positioned within the throttle body 12 beneath themetering jet 14. The butterfly valve 16 comprises a butterfly plate 18that is bolted to a cross shaft 20 which extends across the center ofthe air passageway 22. The opposite ends of the cross shaft 20 arejournalled in the side walls of the throttle body 12, and the top halfof the shaft 20 which extends between the opposite surfaces of the sidewalls of the throttle body is machined away to provide a flat surface 24upon which the bottom of the butterfly plate 18 rests.

Although the air passageway 22 may be of any suitable shape, such asrectangular, square, etc., they are generally cylidnrically shaped. Thepresent invention will have advantages in butterfly valves of anyconfiguration, and has particular advantages when used in butterflyvalves for air passages of circular cross section. Accordingly the airpassageway shown in the drawing is circular in shape, and the butterflyplate 18 is also generally circularly shaped so that it willsubstantially close off the passageway 22 when in the generallyhorizontal position shown in FIGURE 1. 7

As previously indicated, an object of the present invention is toprovide a butterfly valve which will distribute droplets of liquidthroughout the air passing through the valve both during idlingconditions and at intermediate throttle settings. In the structure shownin FIGURE 1, a passageway 26 is provided in the throttle body forconducting gasoline to an adjustable throttling jet 28 that ispositioned in the portion of the throttle body 12 opposite the radiallyouter edge of the butterfly plate 18 when in its substantially closed oridling position. Regulation of fuel flow through the jet 28 isaccomplished by a needle valve 30 that is threaded into the outer end ofthe throttle body 12.

While it is considered preferable to introduce the stream of gasolineused for idling of the engine adjacent the radially outer edge of theportion of the butterfly plate 18 which lies upstream of the shaft 20,it will be understood that the invention will also have advantages whenused in arrangements where the stream of fuel used during idling of theengine is introduced adjacent the outer edge of the butterfly plate 18that lies downstream of the shaft 20.

According to the invention, the downstream edge of the portion of thebutterfly plate 18 that is downstream of the shaft 20 in the closedposition of the valve is provided with a plurality of notches 32 whichcause air flowing past the edge of the plate to expand toward the centerof the air passage 22. The portions of the edge of the plate between thenotches 32 form drip edges 34 the downstream edges of which arepositioned inwardly from the sidewalls of the passage 22. The butterflyplate 18 is usually inclined relative to a plane normal to the centralaxis of the passageway 22, so that the drip edges 34 will be spaced fromthe sidewalls of the air passage 22 even though the upstream edge of theplate 18 may abut the sidewalls of the passageway 22. Air therefore notonly flows between the drip edges 34 and the sidewalls of the passage22, but also flows through the notches 32 and around opposite sides ofthe liquid flowing off of the drip edges 34. It will therefore be seenthat the notches 32 cause air to flow around at least three sides of theliquid which runs off the drip edges 34 of the butterfly plate 18, andfurther directs the droplets toward the center of the passage 22. Evenduring idling when no liquid flows over the drip edges 34 the notches 32serve the desirable function of causing air to proceed away from thesidewalls of the passage 22 toward the center of the air passage 22 tocause mixing as will further be explained.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the idling jet 28 is positionedopposite the upstream edge of the butterfly plate 18, and the edge ofthe butterfly plate 18 opposite the jet 28 is provided with a centergroove 36. The groove 36 allows fluid from the idling jet 28 to squirtradially inwardly as well as to allow air to flow radially inwardlyaround the stream of idling fluid and mix therewith. The butterfly plate18 also has notches 38 on either side of the groove 36 which allow airto flow radially inwardly to mix with flow from the groove 36, andthereafter further mix with the air that has passed through the notches32. Inasmuch as the butterfly plate 18 is circular, in the preferredembodiment the notches 36 and 32 are preferably arranged to extendradially inwardly of the edges of the plate so as to cause air flow toconverge upon the center of the passage 22. In partially open positionsof the butterfly valve 16, when substantially no flow enters through theidling jet 28, and most of the fuel enters by way of the metering jet14, the fuel will be directed inwardly by the air flow around thenotohes 32 to be mixed with air flowing inwardly through the groove 36and notches 38 on the upstream portion of the butterfly plate 18.

The notches 32, groove 36, and notches 38 can be of variousconfigurations. A generally triangular cross section has proven mosteffective for the notches 32 and 38, while a generallyrectangular-shaped groove has proven to be desirable for the groove 36.The notches 32 and 38 as well as the groove 36, of course, becomeshallower as they proceed toward the center of the plate 18, andterminate when their deepest portion intersects the downstream surfaceof the plate.

To further improve upon the effectiveness of the drip edges 34 on thedownstream edge of the butterfly plate 18, the upstream face of thebutterfly plate 18 is provided with a plurality of grooves 40 each oneof which communicates with one of the drip edges 34. The grooves 48cause the accumulation of liquid on the upstream face of the butterflyplate 18 to break up into channels in the grooves 40, each one of whichfeeds one of the drip edges 34, so that air will be caused to flowaround three sides of substantially all of the fluid which flows off ofthe downstream edge of the butterfly plate 18. As previously indicatetd,the butterfly plate 18 is circular. The grooves 48, therefore,preferably extend radially from the drip edges 34 toward the center ofthe plate 18 to cause the liquid which flows down the upstream face ofthe plate 18 to spread out radically across the downstream edge and beevenly distributed to each of the drip edges 34. While it may not benecessary in all instances, the preferred embodiment also has theportions of the upstream surface of the plate between the grooves 40partially removed as at 42 in a circularly shaped band which intersectsthe upstream surface of the plate adjacent the radially inner ends ofthe grooves 40 and which is approximately one-half the depth of thegrooves 48 at a position 44 spaced approximately of an inch inwardlyfrom the outer edge of the plate. The band of removed metal 42terminates just radially outwardly of its deepest portion 44 so thatlips 46 are provided which divert any accumulation of liquid laterallyinto the lower end of the grooves 40 which communicate with the dripedges 34.

In the idling position of the butterfly valve 16 shown in the drawing, alarge vacuum is created downstream of the butterfly valve 16 which drawsgasoline through the passage 26 and jet 28 to cause a small stream ofgasoline to be directed radially inwardly adjacent the downstreamsurface of the butterfly plate 18. The groove 36 allows air to flowaround the small jet of gasoline as it proceeds toward the center of thepassage 22, and the notches 38 cause additional streams of air toconverge toward the center of the passage 22 and become mixed with thefuel flowing through the groove 36. At the same time, air is caused tobe diverted inwardly of the passage 22 through the notches 32 to meetand mix with the fuel and air that has come from the opposite side ofthe butterfly plate 18. The grooves 36 and 32, as well as the notches38, therefore cause the air which flows past the side edges of thebutterfly plate 18 to flow toward the center of the passageway 22 withinduced tubulence rather than proceed downwardly along the sidewalls ofthe passage 22 in a sheath.

When the butterfly valve 16 is opened to an intermediate throttlesetting, gasoline enters through the metering jet 14. The lighter endsand the ethylenedibromide, lead scavenger agent, vaporize almostimmediately while the heavy ends and tetraethyl lead accumulate asdroplets upon the upstream surface of the butterfly plate 18. Theseheavy ends and tetraethyl lead flow in the direction of air flow alongthe upstream surface of the plate until the liquid intercepts thegrooves 40. whereupon it is caused to diverge radially outwardly and isfed to the drip edges 34. The drip edges 34 are V-shaped and havenotches 42 on either side which cause air to flow inwardly past the sideedges of liquid falling off of the drip edges 34, so that air flowsaround at least three sides of all of the droplets of liquid which leavethe downstream edge of the butterfly plate 18. In addition, the notches32 cause the air flow to proceed toward the center of the passage 22 andaway from the sidewalls of the passage 22 where it becomes mixed withair that has passed through and around the upstream side of thebutterfly plate 18. The butterfly plate 18 of the preferred embodimenttherefore not only helps to keep the heavy ends and the tetraethyl leadoff of the sidewalls of the passage 22, but also causes a more thoroughmixing and finer dispersion of droplets and, in turn, a more completevaporization of the heavy ends and tetraethyl lead than do the butterflyvalves of the prior art. Although the invention has been described asembodied in a valve for controlling flow that proceeds downwardlythrough a conduit, it will be understood that it can also be used tocontrol flow upwardly through passages where the vertical gas velocityis great enough to cause the liquid particles to flow upwardly, or canbe used where the carburetor is mounted in horizontal conduits.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is notdesired that it should be limited to the particular embodiments shownand described, and it is intended to cover hereby all novel adaptations,modifications, and arrangements thereof which come within the practiceof those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

What I claim is:

1. Fluid mixing means, comprising, in combination, a conduit having apassageway of predetermined cross section for conducting gasescontaining entrained droplets of liquid in a predetermined direction, abutterfly plate in said conduit rotatable about an axis passing throughsaid passageway, said butterfly plate being rotatable in a givendirection from a position substantially closing off said passageway toan open position extending generally lengthwise of said passageway, oneportion of said plate on one side of said axis moving upstream while theother portion on the other side of said axis moving downstream as saidvalve is opened, the downstream edges of both of said portions having aplurality of spaced apart notches extending from said edges inwardly andterminating prior to reaching the center of said plate to provide airpassages for communicating gases toward the center of said passageway todirect droplets of liquid leaving said plate toward the center of saidpassageway and provide mixing of the gases and droplets, and theupstream face of said other portion having a plurality of groovestherein communicating with the downstream edge thereof between saidnotches.

2. The fluid mixing means defined by claim 1 wherein said grooves in theupstream face of said other portion have a generally V-shapedconfiguration and extend inwardly from the outer edge of said plate,decrease in depth in an inward direction and terminate prior to reachingthe center of said plate.

3. The fluid mixing means defined by claim 1 which further includes arelieved area in the upstream face of said other portion, said relievedarea extending over inner portions of said grooves to provide surfacesbetween said grooves substantially parallel to the upstream face of saidplate intermediate said upstream face in the bottom of said grooves.

4. Fluid mixing means, comprising, in combination, a conduit having apassageway of circular cross section for conducting gases containingentrained droplets of liquid in a predetermined direction, a generallycircular butterfly plate in said conduit rotatable about an axis passingthrough said passageway, said butterfly plate being rotatable in a givendirection from a position substantially closing off said passageway toan open position extending generally lengthwise of said passageway, oneportion of said plate on one side of said axis moving upstream while theother portion on the other side of said axis moving downstream as saidvalve is opened, the downstream edges of both of said portions having aplurality of spaced apart notches extending from said edges radiallyinwardly and terminating prior to reaching the center of said plate toprovide air passages for communicating gases toward the center of saidpassageway to direct droplets of liquid leaving said plate toward thecenter of said passageway any provide mixing of the gases and droplets,and the upstream face ofsaid other portion having a plurality ofradially extending grooves therein communicating with the downstreamedge thereof between said notches.

5. Fliud mixing means, comprising, in combination, a conduit having apassageway of predetermined cross section through which gases containingentrained droplets of liquid pass in a predetermined direction, abutterfly plate in said conduit rotatable about an axis passing throughsaid passageway, said butterfly plate being rotatable in a givendirection from a position substantially closing off said passageway toan open position extending generally lengthwise of said passageway oneportion of said plate on one side of said axis moving upstream while theother portion on the other side of said axis moving downstream as saidvalve is opened, the downstream edge of said other portion having aplurality of spaced apart notches extending from said said edge inwardlyand terminating prior to reaching the center of said plate to provideair passages for communicating gases toward the center of saidpassageway to direct droplets of liquid leaving said plate toward thecenter of said passageway and provide mixing of the gases and droplets,and the upstream face of said other portion having a plurality ofgrooves therein communicating with the downstream edge thereof betweensaid notches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 965,322 7/1910Peterson 261- X 1,753,009 4/1930 Hess. 1,781,087 11/ 1930 Stapelle261-41 3,057,606 10/1962 Hegna 261-65 FOREIGN PATENTS 767,831 5/1934France. 207,926 12/ 1923 Great Britain.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

T. R. MILES, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,298,677 January 17 1967 Rolland L. Anderson It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and thatthe said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2 line 32 for "down" read shown line 56, for "cylidnrically" readcylindrically column 4, line 9, for "indicatetd" read indicated line 13,for "radically" read radially line 60, for "42" read 32 column 6, line14 for "any" read and line 19 for "Fliud" read Fluid line 32 for "said",second occurrence, read side Signed and sealed this 24th day of October1967.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Ir. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

1. FLUID MIXING MEANS, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CONDUIT HAVING APASSAGEWAY OF PREDETERMINED CROSS SECTION FOR CONDUCTING GASESCONTAINING ENTRAINED DROPLETS OF LIQUID IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, ABUTTERFLY PLATE IN SAID CONDUIT ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PASSING THROUGHSAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID BUTTERFLY PLATE BEING ROTATABLE IN A GIVENDIRECTION FROM A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSING OFF SAID PASSAGEWAY TOAN OPEN POSITION EXTENDING GENRALLY LENGTHWISE OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, ONEPORTION OF SAID PLATE ON ONE SIDE OF SAID AXIS MOVING UPSTREAM WHILE THEOTHER PORTION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID AXIS MOVING DOWNSTREAM AS SAIDVALVE IS OPENED, THE DOWNSTREAM EDGES OF BOTH OF SAID PORTIONS HAVING APLURALITY OF SPACED APART NOTCHES EXTENDING FROM SAID EDGES INWARDLY ANDTERMINATING PRIOR TO REACHING THE CENTER OF SAID PLATE TO PROVIDE AIRPASSAGES FOR COMMUNICATING GASES TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID PASSAGEWAY TODIRECT DROPLETS OF LIQUID LEAVING SAID PLATE TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAIDPASSAGEWAY AND PROVIDE MIXING OF THE GASES AND DROPLETS, AND THEUPSTREAM FACE OF SAID OTHER PORTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF GROOVESTHEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH THE DOWNSTREAM EDGE THEREOF BETWEEN SAIDNOTCHES.